The present invention relates generally to devices adapted to being mounted on tires on the driving wheels of vehicles to improve traction in snow, on ice and in mud, and more particularly to such devices which may be readily and quickly mounted on the driving wheels when slippery conditions are encountered and just as easily removed after the emergency has passed.
Various anti-skid traction devices are well known in the art, as exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 2,576,868 to Wolf, U.S. Pat. No. 2,963,064 to Rucker; U.S. Pat. No. 4,209,049 to Regensburger and U.S. Pat. No. 4,662,417 to Lee. However, none of these patents provide anti-skid traction devices which are attached to tires which would not need readjustment after mounting and which have a strong, durable metal frame, a securing chain that is not subject to wear, be manufactured in relatively few sizes to fit a wide range of automobile and truck/bus tire sizes and be adaptable to single, low pressure automobile tires and dual, high pressure truck and bus tires.
All-weather and snow tires have better traction than regular tires, but they are not as good as chains in densely packed snow or ice. Normal chains, consisting of a ring on each side of the tire and traction bands that run from ring to ring, are difficult to put on, particularly under adverse conditions. The chain set must be wrapped around and under the wheel, the inside ring must be fastened, which requires one to see and reach behind the wheel, and the tension must be reset after running--all of which is hard and messy to do. Strap chains, held on by a belt which goes through a slot in a wheel, cannot be used on wheels without slots or which have inadequate clearance between the inside of the rim and the brake.